Shloka 25
अविमुक्तक्षेत्रमाहात्म्य
The Greatness of Avimukta–Vārāṇasī and Viśveśvara
कृत्वा पापसहस्राणि पिशाचत्वं वरं नृणाम् । न च क्रतुसहस्रत्वं स्वर्गे काशीं पुरीं विना
kṛtvā pāpasahasrāṇi piśācatvaṃ varaṃ nṛṇām | na ca kratusahasratvaṃ svarge kāśīṃ purīṃ vinā
Even after committing thousands of sins, for men it is preferable to become a piśāca; but even gaining in heaven the fruit of a thousand Vedic sacrifices is not to be desired if it is without the sacred city of Kāśī.
Suta Goswami (narrating the Kāśī-māhātmya within the Koṭirudrasaṃhitā to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha
Sthala Purana: Kāśī is proclaimed the supreme kṣetra where Śiva as Viśveśvara grants mokṣa; even heavenly merit (kratu-phala) is inferior to residence/connection with Kāśī, because liberation depends on Śiva’s grace rather than mere ritual merit.
Significance: Kāśī-vāsa/darśana is extolled as surpassing svarga-merit; it reorients the seeker from karma-kāṇḍa rewards to Śiva’s liberating anugraha.
FAQs
The verse ranks liberation-oriented proximity to Shiva above mere merit: even vast ritual reward culminating in svarga is portrayed as inferior if it lacks connection to Kāśī, the city identified with Shiva’s grace and the cutting of bondage (pāśa) leading toward moksha.
Koṭirudrasaṃhitā emphasizes sacred sites and Jyotirliṅga-centered devotion; Kāśī is presented as a living field of Saguna Shiva’s presence, where worship, remembrance, and final contemplation are considered more transformative than heaven-bound ritual outcomes.
Prioritize Kāśī-oriented Shiva-bhakti: japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), liṅga-pūjā, and pilgrimage/mental pilgrimage to Kāśī with the intent of moksha rather than svarga.